Hot Obsession: A Ben 10 Alien Force FanFiction (10)
by ShockScythe
Summary: Everything seems normal and the group can continue as usual. That is, until a Pyronite shows a great interest in Zeke. An aspiring mother, the alien wants to brag about her (unwilling) child's fire! But no one knows what to do with her, unable to keep her from interrupting or smothering the life out of Ze. Everyone soon getting attached, even the Pyronite will need to be rescued.
1. Chapter 1

**I keep going on Hiatus or something, I'm sorry if you've been waiting for some kind of update. In my defense, I've moved and started working since the last installment (all of my saved prompts are gone now so I gotta improvise).**

 **And the top message was written back in July _SO_. In any case, I've been going through a mental collapse/crisis as of late and things are going nuts. Haven't moved again (thankfully), but now I'm working two jobs and being a full-time college student is a nightmare. I'm hoping that some of you are still interested in these stories, or that Zeke is a character you guys don't hate, because I think she's better now. I have some plots I want to do and hope anyone reading will stick along for the ride.**

 **For newcomers specifically, in this particular installment I don't think it's entirely necessary that you read the others. The OC has changed anyways and this is the first legitimate story to include this change; the Erase mini-section was the development of it.**

 ** _ANYWAYS_**

 **I only own my character(s _?)_ and the plot of this FanFiction. Everything else belongs to their respective owners.**

 ** _-ShockScythe_**

* * *

 **(Switched P.O.V.)**

In the darkness of space, a single bolt of fire cut through like a knife, passing countless stars and planets along the way. It bobbed in an irregular zig-zag, occasionally dipping through the atmosphere of a planet it deemed was interesting. More often than not, that same bolt would burn back through the atmosphere like it did before and continue along its path. Bitterly, the bolt entered a new quadrant, checking out planets that were barren and didn't seem even remotely capable of supporting life; more often than not, its path never changed, and it didn't even visit these floating rocks.

"They take me for a fool," clicked the Pyronite. They - _she_ , actually - began a careful circle of the blue planet known as Earth. From the peak of her blazing trail, the reddish, molten rock broke through, establishing a tight, angular featured face. Eyes narrowed as she began her approach. No doubt would the Plumbers be alerted to her arrival, however she hoped they wouldn't feel the need to track her down. She was only here to search, to prove her fellow species wrong.

She was a mother, or an alien woman that hoped to become one. Only problem was her fascination in power. It was vain, it was undoubtedly foolish, but she wanted the strongest child. In a way, the Pyronite wanted to flaunt them around proudly, to brag and prove that this desire wasn't pointless. There was no Pyronite on Pyros that could please her mentally - none of them were _strong_ enough - or even tolerate this obsession, really. So she set out to explore the cosmos and find a source of fire power, one that she could claim as her child.

Really, she wanted to brag about the feats of a child that was hers. She was like a really hyped up, 23 year-old human mother.

T'Iciri arrived at Earth in the bleak of night, streaking like a comet across the navy sky. The air here was exactly as everyone said; cool, gentle, and worth the few extra breaths it took to get used to it. A city was awake beneath her, though just barely hanging on. There were a few lights that blinked out and never came back on, so she assumed that the inhabitants were going to bed. Her trail was becoming far too noticeable by this point, and T'Iciri made a split minute decision to land.

That is, until she noticed a hot, bright burst off to the east. No doubt was it fire, but what had caused such a quick flare? It didn't _seem_ like anything had caught on fire, so its source must've been well-controlled. Her hopes shot up just like the flames on her shoulders. The red, rocky form of her body emerged from the fire as she settled herself into a new game plan. She came close, closing in on the source before dropping to the solid ground. Quite frankly the gravity was different than it was on Pyros, however it wasn't unpleasant once you got used to it.

Dousing her flame as carefully as she could, T'Iciri crept closer, ducking behind a cement brick wall once she arrived at the battle scene. And quite a scene it was; an opened space with the occasional, painted white lines and sleek metal vehicles. A light stood tall in the corner, but it was by no means what truly illuminated the fight.

There were five of them, four beings of which she had initially suspected to be human. Well, they _looked_ human, but only briefly. The biggest of the four had broad shoulders and hair as dark as the night itself - male, definitely. He brought himself down in a hunch, gripping the black ground beneath him like it was made of cloth rather than something rough and hard. The material then seemed to transfer like water in a stream, flowing up his body and covering every bit of him until he stood tall. An asphalt sentry, really.

The one beside him was slender, with flowing red hair and a grace that could be described as elegantly calculated - female, for sure. She didn't change her form like her companion did, however she no longer seemed particularly human either. Pink energy covered both of her delicate hands and undoubtedly turned them into weapons; this human was strong.

Then, beside her yet a few steps forward, was a human whose formed changed before the Pyronite's very eyes. A flash of green temporarily blinded her while the other beings there, aside from the one they were all facing, were unbothered in the moment. And when it finally settled, a surge of excitement at the new being almost gave her position away. The human that once stood there - male, she already knew - was replaced by a much taller alien. Its body resembled a Pyronite, though it was made of life rather than heat. Be that as it may, there was still a fire she could feel coming from him. He brought his arms back, stuck his chest forward, and shouted with a nasally voice; _"Swampfire!_ "

Up in front, perhaps only a step more forward than the alien behind, was the last human. Female, it seemed, yet a little unreadable. T'Iciri cocked her head to the side as she watched the girl - smaller than the others and not _prominently_ female like the redhead (her clothing was much too simple, her hair wasn't as long, and she didn't have the same grace) - curious as to why she took the lead.

Their enemy was massive in comparison to all of them. Skin stark white, face a royal purple and eyes red slits. Its voice gurgled out a growl, though despite its size and intimidating aura, it was a little concerned. With the numbers? Surely not; T'Iciri knew what the alien opponent was, and numbers never seemed to bother the Highbreed race.

In that brief moment of hesitation, the humans moved; the redheaded energy user took the air by crossing over energy steps she herself generated, the asphalt covered male changed his simple hands into heavy hammers before charging straight in the front, the green alien took a wide step to the right and the blonde human girl did a fast roll to the left at the same time, rolling rather than stepping to cover the same amount of distance as her comrade. Very little seemed to be spoken among the group, so T'Iciri figured that this battle was nothing new.

Well, surely not, because the energy user aimed for the Highbreeds face with energy bolts that were quick and precise. When he swung a large hand at her, that grace appeared in action, as she sprung back in a flip to avoid, the energy step shattering. A new one appeared beneath her and caught her landing, then she continued the barrage.  
The bigger male struck heavy but slow blows when he could, blocking when he couldn't, and even being forced back multiple, _multiple_ times. He didn't give up.  
Then came the heat.

From the palms of the plant-like alien - Swampfire - came jets of flame that slammed into the Highbreed. Being the creature of a cooler climate, he hissed sharply, raising an arm to defend against the heat. Then, from the small girl, came such a massive burst of fire that T'Iciri hadn't been expecting. From her positon, the Pyronite couldn't see any exit point for the flames to escape or any real contact with the girl's skin. Swampfire's had been a hot, slightly waving jet; this human girl's came as ocean waves, the tongues of fire lapping against the unyielding Highbreed.

T'Iciri couldn't... She couldn't remember what happened after that. All that filled her elated mind was her glee and satisfaction. Yes, Swampfire had been strong with his fire, but it wasn't what he was designed for. If nothing else, there was still something that the human that made up this Swampfire had to learn. But the human girl had fire that seemed to leak from her core. Like, it was what she was, just contained in a fleshy case instead. T'Iciri found the source of her bragging, a child she could no doubt take in.

The thought made her excited.


	2. Chapter 2

**(Normal P.O.V)**

Normalcy had more or less returned to the city of Bellwood. My grades leveled out, my parents gave me more freedom as a "responsible adult", I found Grandpa Max more than once ( _that_ was an emotional rollercoaster), and the DNAliens weren't always the biggest concern anymore. While I wished they could be dealt with for good, taking both them AND the Highbreeds down wasn't something that was capable of being done within a single day. What's more, my team was complete again.

Zeke was officially back in working order after her return from Galvan Prime. The bruise around her neck had just about faded by now, too. She kind of gave up on the whole mismatched fashion sense and stuck with what she had; naturally everyone still gave her hell for the whole ninja thing - the different outfits and identity crisis - but she finally seemed sure of herself. Guess that's what happens when you're a teenager, though I felt like my crisis was on the horizon somewhere.

She caught up with school work _surprisingly_ quickly, too - her grades averaged out at around high C's-low B's after all of that cramming, and despite her absence the school didn't expel her or anything - and her relationship with Julie seemed like it was officially good. It was about all that I could ask for. Each night of homework, occasional heroics, frequent smoothie outings, and fun things on the side (like teaching an oddly terrible soccer player like Zeke) all amounted to something as simple as living in content. If I was naïve, I would've even said that things almost felt like they did before I put the Omnitrix back on.

Thing is, that's exactly what I said. To Zeke. In the middle of a totally average late afternoon.

We were finally coming back from the neighborhood park around early evening, walking side by side and talking all things casual between here and the sun. I was learning a lot about her, properly this time instead of just finding things out. It definitely sounded like something had changed with her since her return to the universe, however it wasn't necessarily something bad. She just seemed more certain about the things she said, or the things she liked. It was nice to see her opening up in a better way; the way she had been when we first met was almost like a total joke by now. _This_ was Zeke.

I gently dribbled the soccer ball between my legs, occasionally surging forward before falling right back into step beside her. Glancing down the block I could already see my house coming into view. "You're staying for dinner, right?" I asked, looking over to her. She nodded eagerly and I could tell she was hungry - well, hungry and a little sweaty from how _sorely_ I beat her with my soccer skills. Barking out a laugh, I kicked up the soccer ball a few times against the toe of my shoe before knocking it up to my hands. "Mom's making lasagna," was added with smile, "and I think she even got a pie when she heard you were coming over."

"God, I love pie."

"Got a favorite one?"

There was some slight hesitation, probably because she was running through her options. It was a little while before Zeke came to her decision, lifting up her finger as if she made a brilliant discovery. "Cherry," the blonde answered. Her tone still didn't sound 100% certain, so from that I wagered that she _really_ liked pie - too much to make a decision at least.

I rolled my shoulders in response and tucked the soccer ball under my arm. "I think she got apple," I admitted. Clearly, that didn't bother her much. It was free food either way, and if someone else was providing it at no cost to her, she wasn't the type to complain. Unless it was a really unfortunate choice in smoothie - such as the ever brief existence of a Chocolate-Mushroom Delight - because then she'd throw all sorts of hell. We talked a little bit more as we crossed the street. The topics weren't overly exciting, though the company was nice. We talked about a new spy movie coming out soon, how school was a total drag, and how the evening bugs were making such a weird sound; it was kind of like a high pitched shrieking, continuous and getting louder with every passing moment.

Frowning, I also came to the realization that the sound in question wasn't coming from multiple sources rather than just one. It was familiar, too, which was even more confusing. I stopped in my tracks with Zeke doing the same a step afterwards. She turned to look back at me, but that was enough. Her eyes went wide and alarm etched itself over her face. "Watch out!" She sprung into me, knocking us both to the sidewalk as a flaming ball passed overhead.

The suddenness had me smacking my head against the concrete with a dizzying _crack_. My grip loosened completely over the soccer ball and it bounced into the street but, honestly, that was the least of our concerns. Blinking the spots and spinning duplicates from my sight, I raised my head, soon following Zeke's example as we both sat up. The fireball looped back around, flares that danced around its center carefully dissipating away upon its approach. I was shocked to see the thin, rocky form of a lifeform so strikingly familiar. It was a Heatblast - not Alan Albright, too large and too curved to be, and too well balanced on its flaming form of transportation - however, despite its charge I couldn't feel any evil intent.  
Well, not that I was ever the type to really notice that kind of stuff.

This Heatblast's face morphed into a seemingly happy expression as it got closer, while Zeke and I both got onto our feet in order to defend. Neither of us could act in time as it swooped in close to our sides. Before I knew it, Zeke was gone, yanked off her feet and essentially abducted. Whirling back to follow, it was clear they didn't make it very far like intended. While the Heatblast held her rather carefully by her side, rising higher and higher into the air, something happened that I managed to miss. The blonde suddenly cried out in pain.

I slammed down on the Omnitrix, my very form altering as I ran after them. With a quick, "Big Chill!" I snapped down the large wings sprouting from my back and rose up to meet them. Zeke's cry and insistent struggling startled the Heatblast, who, out of reflex, completely released its hold. Thankfully I was there, catching Zeke in my arms and bringing her to my chest. Smoke rolled off of the sides of her shirt, wafted away by each beat of my wings. I couldn't see it very well, but I didn't fail to notice the sudden burn in the clothing.

Panicked shot through my veins, worried that she was actually really hurt. The Heatblast made a slight advancement, hand raised as if to reach out. I snapped my gaze to them before clouds of cold passed my teeth. In its contact with the difference in temperatures, the chill turned to thick steam, making it difficult to see anything. It was about all the cover I needed, making both myself and my passenger intangible before diving back to the ground. The soccer ball was abandoned in the street when the steam settled, the Heatblast looking around frantically but not... Not in frustration. They lingered in the air for only a moment longer before shooting off in the opposite direction.

 **~#~**

I peaked around the tree I had hidden behind, making sure that neither of my parents were near the windows that opened into the backyard before I slowly unfurled my wings from around Zeke. We sunk down to the grass; her partially on her side and myself on my knees. With my wings back around me like a cloak, I ghosted a cold hand over the severe burn of her brown shirt. It didn't look like the contact with the Heatblast had completely seared through, so maybe she wasn't as hurt as I was envisioning, but you couldn't be too sure.

Eventually, she reached out and caught my hand, giving a small grunt before propping up on her other elbow. "Are you okay?" I asked in the low, sighing tone Big Chill had.

Zeke took a moment to look me over, her gaze a little hazy as if in a daze. Her eyes flickered to the hand she had grabbed a hold of, then the visible burn mark on her shirt, then up to my hooded face. With a pointed expression, she straight up went, "Were you feeling me up?"

"Jesus Christ, Zeke.."

"What? I was just kidding."

I gave a very exaggerated sigh, squeezing her hand once before slipping out of her hold. With a flash I turned back into my human form, casting a second glance to the house for reassurance. Once I was positive that, again, I had gone by undetected, I returned my attention to her. I sat back against the tree, extending one leg out in front of me with the other bent up at the knee. Zeke sat up too, legs crossing before she touched gingerly at her sides. Both were burned it seemed, though the right was worse than the left; my guess was because the right side had been closer to the core of the heat while the left had just been held by the arm of the Heatblast.

Watching her for a moment, I cocked my head to the side. "Does it hurt?"

Zeke looked up and shook her head. She patted the burns with more force, causing me to reflexively sit up straighter. "No," she answered, "I think I was just startled by how hot it was." After a brief moment of silence, the blonde soon started laughing. "She didn't act like hurting me was her intention-"

"She?"

"-but I also don't think she planned on dropping me."

Now I was more confused, arching an eyebrow in question while I waited for some clarification. Zeke noticed my stare and proceeded to explain how, though she didn't catch what the Heatblast had said, she had noticed the way its voice had been, how ecstatic and bouncy it was. She wasn't used to listening alien voices outside of my own, Azmuth's, and the gurgles of the DNAliens we encountered, so she could only assume the gender. Thinking back, the Heatblast really hadn't looked like the broad form of my old alien, or the more defined pieces of Alan. They had more curves, but I also didn't know what to expect. How was I supposed to know what a female Heatblast looked like?

I shook my head and sighed. The "attack" had been random, there had been no reason that I knew of for it to happen, and it didn't exactly seem organized either. What was the intention behind it, if not to hurt Zeke? Why Zeke of all people? Appearing to read my mind, the blonde shrugged and shook her head. Whatever the case may have been, we either had to prepare for the next one or just be on the lookout. It could've been luck, it could've been chance. Random abductions weren't at all uncommon on Ye Old Planet Earth. In fact, I'm sure there are some groups that gather to discuss their varying encounters.  
Maybe I should join one...

From beyond the tree the back door clicked unlocked and slid open. "Ben?" Mom called with a raised tone, "Ben, sweetie, are you back there?"

Knowing I couldn't go by undetected, with the grace and speed accumulated after years of the gym locker room I shrugged my jacket off of my torso. I stood up and quickly came around the trunk of the oak tree, taking care to drop the cover on Zeke's shoulders. We really weren't doing anything wrong, however I didn't want those blatant burn marks to cause a scene. As casual as I could, I leaned an elbow into the bark and waved with the other hand. "Hiya, Mom."

"When did you get back?" she asked, sharp, pointed eyebrows arching in light suspicion. "Um... _How_ did you get back? Back here, I mean. I didn't see you come in."

' _Crap!_ '

I was an actor, I played it off as best I could. Rolling my shoulders I turned away my gaze, taking a great interest in the orange sky overhead. "We, I- We ran back," I responded (eventually), "and the tree was the goal."

This wasn't helping. Mom just seemed more confused, and her lingering in the doorway had summoned my dad, who had just gotten home from work probably twenty minutes ago. He looked me over once before smiling. "Did you forget your jacket at the park, kiddo?" he asked. While he waited for my response, Mom leaned to the side, eyes widening when she noticed the girl that was _still_ sitting in the grass behind the tree.

Of course, this was no way to leave a guest hanging. Apparently. With a cross look in my direction she let out a sigh. "Zeke," Mom called, "Dinner is almost ready. How about you go wash up?"

"Okay, Mrs. Tennyson," came the quick reply.

Zeke practically hopped to her feet, wearing a smile on her face that seemed to deny all evidence of her near-abduction. Knowing better than to shed my jacket from her back and expose the black char on her shirt, she left it on, and made her way to the back door. Mom and Dad stepped aside to let her through, smiling all the while but something threw them off. For some reason, they locked eyes on my jacket. Dad looked at Mom, Mom looked at Dad with the notorious "I told you so" expression on her face.

I looked between them both. There were no words in my vocabulary to explain how confused I was feeling; their super-secret silent parent language was lost to me.

Dad shook his head slightly and began his retreat inside, rubbing the back of his neck. "At least we know where your jacket is.." he mumbled simply.

Mom was pleased with herself, looking over at me as I made my approach. She either didn't notice the question in my stare or ignored it on purpose, because I was brushed off almost instantly. With a smile that _screamed_ she knew something that I didn't, Mom put a hand on my arm. "Don't forget you have homework," she reminded me, "so Zeke can't stay very long."

"Uh huh."

But, now that she mentioned that Zeke would have to leave, I worried about the Heatblast coming back. The weird look between my parents and the unfortunate, bitter reminder of homework would have to wait. After stepping inside the house, I retreated to my room and flipped open my phone, flicking through my message history between Gwen and Kevin. If Kevin wasn't working, I'd ask him to come pick Zeke up and take her home. Not that she couldn't handle herself if the Heatblast _did_ make a dramatic return, just that I wasn't sure what the whole motive had been in the first place.

Steps in the hall alerted me to Zeke's arrival at my doorway, knocking against the wall with a grin. My jacket was in her other hand and her brown long-sleeve was bunched in a ball under her arm. She always wore a shirt underneath, and it was black today so thankfully whatever got burned through was masked by the color. That didn't help the smell of smoke and- Wait.

My nose scrunched up to my face as I came up to meet her, taking back my jacket and tossing it onto the desk chair haphazardly. "You smell like a fancy gas station bathroom."

"Gee whiz, Ben," she responded with a slight scowl, "you're such a smooth talker."

I laughed, putting one hand on my hip and gesturing with the other. "It's not my fault," I insisted, "What'd you do, anyways? Tried to mask it with the high-pressured scent canister that was under the sink?"

The hesitation had me worrying that that had been exactly what she did. Like, I get that we don't want to raise suspicion or anything, but the masking was just an uncomfortable mixing of senses. Zeke rolled her eyes and turned away - not before she handed me her long-sleeve, mind you, which I also tossed back at my desk - before starting down the hall towards the living room. "No," the blonde answered. She lowered her voice in volume as we came around the corner. "Your mom has a brand new air freshener plugged in that's, like, motion-detecting."

My entire face lit up at that and I was close to howling with a new breath of laughter. "You can't be serious... Ze, were you spooked by the air freshener? _Did it catch you by surprise?_ " Cackling, I barely avoided getting socked in the arm.

But it was time for dinner, and Mom didn't usually allow fighting at the table.


	3. Chapter 3

As a full-time hero, there really is no rest to be had. DNAlien activity kept going down and, whenever trouble arose and we were able to get there in time, that's what my team usually did. Simple stuff, too, nothing _too_ dangerous. Two days after Zeke stayed over dinner, there had been a robbery at the small jewelry store on our way home. Kevin had pulled over once Gwen noticed it - the three robbers themselves must've scoped out the place in advance because there was no alarm triggered - and was eagerly awaiting their return with a shiny coat of green metal.

The day after that there had been a small house fire, nothing spectacular and easy to manage. But then that fourth day.. That fourth day was a whole different ball game. Gwen, Kevin, Zeke, and I- We were all used to alien activity, illegal weapon trades and the construction of totally not permit-safe weather machines being the height of it. Sure, it got messy sometimes, but at the same time you forget the kind of things those comic book heroes have to put up with.

Kevin was tuned in to the general happenings of the harbor. When he mentioned it, I was _instantly_ suspicious. We're pals and all but he still had a history to keep note of. Either way, he had heard that some people kept going to the harbor off the normal schedule; they weren't supposed to be there, yet more than a few of them kept showing up. He was looking for something exciting to do, it was the weekend, and what better way to spend your time than with a stake out and a potential drug-bust or _whatever_ was going on, right?

Gwen, being the conscience of reasoning among us, voiced her displeasure with the idea. She had been hoping that Zeke, being another level-headed woman like herself, would agree and take her side. What she didn't account for was that Zeke was secretly a superhero geek, and she was outnumbered in our democratic vote of 3 to 1. At the end of our planning, we agreed that we'd call the cops if things got to be too much. After all, we handled the alien affairs more; whatever this was had to be something for the local authorities.

Around 2:00 in the morning, when we had already been perched up on a storage warehouse for an hour and half already, the lights came on, zeroing in on a single, cleared floor space. Dozens of people emerged from the shadows and converged out in the open. Some seemed twitchy, even from our distance a good couple yards away. A guy in a suit came to stand between them all. He was unbothered by the tense atmosphere as he puffed from a lit cigar like he was a good old fashioned Yankee mob boss. None of us could hear the conversation outside of the occasional loud grunt of agreement but something... Something didn't seem right.

When the boss' henchman pushed up a set of crates on a roller and cracked open the lid with _his bare hands_ , I didn't like the hiss of reaction Kevin gave. He lurched forward a bit, tightly gripping the edge of the rooftop. His eyes were wide but even in the dark I could see the alarm on his face. "Woah.." he huffed, "You goody-two-shoe-Tennysons probably don't know this - I'll spare you, Zeke, since you're _still_ new - but alien drugs exist.."

Of course he would know. He probably sampled them, too. You could assume from that lack of a haircut- Bad, Tennyson. Very bad. Honestly I was just surprised by the information. Maybe it shouldn't be so surprising since, well, anything was possible out there in the universe. Either way, somehow we got caught in on an alien drug deal; this almost one-ups the weapons deal. As self-deemed/honorary Plumbers we probably should've put a stop to it. I had even gotten ready to hop down and make myself known when, surprisingly, Gwen was the one who snagged my arm.

"Ben, only those two guys in the middle are aliens," the redhead reported, "The other guys - twenty of them, I think - are all human. We can't just barge in; who knows what those drug-lords are going to do to them."

Zeke nodded her agreement quietly but Kevin was really getting heated about this. He pointed a sharp, single finger down at the masses, his stare dark. "That stuff was in the Null Void. It's insane, the kind of reactions it gives to aliens. There were some humans in there too, you know, and for them it was like a straight OD on all of our normal drugs."

I made a slight face, commenting, "You say that as if us goody-two-shoe-Tennysons have ever done drugs." My smugness almost got me murdered in cold blood by Kevin Ethan Levin.

All jokes aside, he had a point. "I've seen what it does, and as much of an anti-people person that I am, this stuff needs to go before it probably kills half of Bellwood. It's nasty stuff, it's dangerous, and who knows what else it'll do to humans."

It was time to become the hero. I was getting ready to activate the Omnitrix - perhaps go Goop so I wouldn't hurt any of the humans or Spider-Monkey so that I could wrap it up easily (get it?) - when a sharp click behind my head had me freezing in place. We had been surrounded for who knows how long, and they just decided to make themselves known. The armed assailants, when I risked turning my head to face them, were twitchy, their fingers constantly dancing against the trigger of what _looked_ like standard AK's. The soft rose colored light that pulsated along the magazine suggested otherwise.

From below, a voice boomed. "Well well," barked the boss, "looks like we have some fresh meat lookin' for free samples!"

The guys in front of us jolted at that, as if the prospect of us kids taking their precious substance was just the right amount of off-putting to make them want to open fire. Honestly? It didn't look like this was going to go smoothly. That was when Zeke edged the _tiiiiiniest_ bit forward, attracting the barrels of all the guns - three in total - straight to her. The action had my breath hitching in my throat, worried that these tweaked out guys were more trigger happy than they seemed. But they held still.

I could probably change into an alien in the time it took them to fire, but I wasn't nearly as prepared as they were. Their guns were cocked and loaded, my Omnitrix was still off. Yet, somehow, when I saw Gwen edging further _back_ and Zeke slowly lifting a hand to keep the focus on herself, I wasn't as worried. That's not to say I wasn't worried at all, just that things seemed to be somewhat in control. As my cousin moved further and further backwards with slow, careful movements, she said something so softly that I almost missed it: "Brace yourself."

Since I was still in a kneeling position beside Kevin, while my foot remained out of sight I made an effort to give him a nudge as well. He only tensed in response and I knew he got the memo. The boss cleared his throat so loudly that I thought it was through a megaphone. "We didn't receive their payment," he played, "so just off 'em already."

Then we were blasted off the roof in a sudden rush of heat.

.

Thing about Zeke's fire, right? The more she practiced or concentrated, the more control she had over what burned and what didn't. I had felt it before against the first Highbreed upon her return from Galvan Prime, when the fire that hit the alien had hurt like hell but what touched me wasn't painful. Same thing happened right in that moment when the fingers over the triggers pulled all the way back and bolts from the alien magazines fired dead on. Zeke had shoved forward with her lifted palm, a wall of fire smacking into the gunman and the force of it knocking all four of us off the roof. For a brief moment of weightlessness, the fire felt almost as soft as a cloud, as fluid as a gentle current, and warm like a bathtub. It practically brought us over the ground for a free fall.

Gwen was falling first, then myself and Kevin, with Zeke coming last. This was why my genius cousin had told me to brace myself. I didn't fear hitting the ground, activating the Omnitrix with experienced timing. It didn't matter what alien I got at this point, but I _did_ have a preference. As the smoke wafted down with the rest of us - the change in air pressure causing the shift - I briefly caught sight of Gwen righting herself during the fall, projecting a cubed space for us to land on. Knowing her, it probably had the consistency of Jell-O.

I was quite pleased with this current turn of events. I slammed down on the dial of the Omnitrix, twisting myself in the air so that my chest was towards the ground and the membrane of my wings acted as a parachute. " _Jetray!_ " With a quick gust, my speedy form shot forward, laying low and close to the ground as I made my attack. When I got close enough to the boss and his now panicking lackeys, I noticed the four eyes behind his jerkwad sunglasses and the overcrowded space of sharp teeth that lay hidden within his mouth. Can't forget the weird, horn-like moles all over his face.  
Yeah, definitely not human.

He hadn't been expecting this little raid on his party plans, so it didn't take much to spook him into a half-assed fight; the charge of my powered friends definitely didn't help his case. Honestly, the tweaked out humans were more of a threat than he was, and that was because they had no disregard for their own wellbeing. It seemed like their only priority was to protect the stash, both the ones on display and whatever lay in wait within one of the blue shipping crates.

Kevin, as you'd expect, didn't exactly have a problem with slamming his concrete hands into their ribs or bringing up his hardened knee into their stomachs. Gwen and Zeke cared, and did everything they could to simple incapacitate them rather than actually hurt them; Ze was being more physical so I assumed that there was too much going on for her to control the properties of her fire. Which was fine, because the two were having almost no problems. I just focused on the boss, the stash of what looked like cylindrical, violet colored stones. Some were pretty big so I wondered how anyone got their high- Not that I was planning on experimenting, it was just legitimate confusion on the subject.

The lackey was the biggest problem. With the height of some massive basketball star and the width of a sumo wrestler, whenever he got in the way it was hard to avoid his extensive reach even with my speed. One lucky swing of his arms knocked me across the length of the harbor, tumbling against the ground and catching, in a daze, against the front of another storage house. I shook my head quickly, and just as quickly messed with the dial on my chest.

" _Spider-Monkey!"_

.

Honestly it was kind of weird how the fight moved, how everyone danced around and spread out in all directions. The humans were too stubborn to give up even after Kevin _sorely_ beat them into submission. It was highly likely that they still had this weird drug in their system, and that was what was compelling them to throw all caution to the wind. Which was a really bad thing when caught in a fight with a few experienced teenagers with weird powers.

The change in alien scared the crap out of the boss and tall lackey - bet they weren't expecting that - and for a moment I had the upper hand against them. Lackey was caught in my sticky web, bound tight together with no real way to break free unless he got something sharp; he may have been a big guy, but that didn't mean he was super strong. Pleased, I gave a few chirps and bounced on my feet, breaking the connection of web still attached to my tail before springing off for the boss. But boss guy had other plans.

From behind the stack of drug cases he used for cover, I caught sight of the bright gun magazine; this time, quickly shoved into some kind of silver coated gun that I couldn't identify. The blundering humans around him, five in total all dazed and disoriented, followed his sharp, panicked command and took aim. I followed their line of sight, how it rose higher than any of our positions and was almost startled when I saw the supposed target. Really, I'm sure the logic worked, but it seemed too movie-like for their bullets to be able to sever the tethers that held up a red shipping crate that had been lifted into the air.  
In fact, I wouldn't have been worried at all had there not been someone underneath it.

Zeke was currently being backed up into a corner, evading physical hits from the tweaked humans and yet still making enough hits of her own to keep them from using weapons. Obviously it was chance that she was underneath the shipping container, but that didn't mean I had to like it. Howling, I sprung from my spot next to the lackey and landed on the drug crates in front of the boss, looming over with my sharpened canines bared. "Give it up," I huffed. And he did, he dropped the gun and brought up his hands, quaking in his cheap boots. He grumbled an uneven "back down, boys" to his posse around him; we were in the clear.

My appearance did nothing to the others. They twitched, they whimpered, they weren't even present in this realm of existence. The boss suddenly shouted at them to put their guns down and half listened; the other two flinched and their fingers over the triggers tensed too much. Shots were fired in a flurry, coming from the startled humans and then the panicked others. The three were sporadic in their aim - so much so that I almost got hit had I not hopped out of their way and hid beside the boss. The two had still been locked onto their target. With dread in my stomach, I shot a line of web out to snag onto the farthest thing I could - the side of a moving crane - and zipped from my spot.

No matter what, I had to be quick. But all of those physic lessons told me it wouldn't be enough to reach Zeke in the time it took for the insanely heavy, steel crate to fall. "Zeke!" I shouted, "Move!" My call caught the attention of Kevin and Gwen, the latter rushing to do something to slow the crate's fall. Magic shot out from her hands, forming a plate just underneath it but it did little to stop it. It shattered almost instantly with the massive weight.

The blonde herself was caught up in a hand-to-hand struggle with one of the people surrounding her. Jesus Christ, they were _all_ doomed! Even if she wanted to, there was no way Zeke could create enough force in a blast of fire to slow it down - much less stop it or evade. She shoved her attacker away, stumbling as they kept latched to her wrist.

This just wasn't working and that made the panic so much worse. I practically punched myself in the chest with how hard I brought my hand to the Omnitrix, the flash of light engulfing me mid-swing. The name barely left my mouth as Zeke crouched down and covered her head in anticipation of the weight to crash on her. And from nowhere came the shriek of fire hotter than the sun.

It was precise, it was concentrated, and it hit the side of the falling crate with so much pent up force that it shoved it off course. The crash shook the harbor, cracking the ground with all of the weight combined; even the other shipping container that it had landed on was bent through the middle. Dust rose and settled, and as everyone adjusted - me in my larger, dinosaur-like body include - there was only surprise. The drug boss had fainted.

That was how, on the fourth day, the lady Heatblast made her _real_ appearance. Zeke was sitting on her butt and leaned back on her hands, staring up with mouth agape at the tall, flaming figure that stood just to the side of her. Once everything cleared and all that remained was the silence between us, I could determine with utmost certainty that the expression I had seen on the alien's face before had been a good one; this current one was the opposite. She was angry, almost to the point of being enraged. _I_ knew who she was, but neither Kevin or Gwen did.

"Woah, is that Alan?" Gwen asked first with an eager tone.

I responded with a flat, "No."

"A new recruit then?" Kevin followed, shedding his concrete armor.

"No.."

Silence.  
They both looked to me, then to Zeke and the alien, and then tensed like they were preparing for _another_ fight. All of the humans around us had fled in their panic, more put off by the loud crashing and the fire than a couple of powered kids. At least that was taken care of, yet for some reason I had a feeling that this was almost worse. The fire that made up the Heatblast's head flared up and she stepped forward. What came from her mouth was definitely not English - I could tell that much from the initial confusion between the others - but I had the Omnitrix, and it translated for me: _"Are you absolutely stupid?!"_


	4. Chapter 4

After a few minutes of shocked silence, I looked down to Gwen and Kevin, gesturing to the lit dial in the center of my chest. "Uh.. Translators," I reminded. That was enough to get them to pull out their Plumber badges. Zeke was still frozen in place but I didn't blame her; even I was still trying to figure out what exactly had happened. The Heatblast waited for us with a pointed stare, hands on her hips and eyes narrowed. She must've known we didn't understand, _and_ she must've known about the capabilities of the badges, because it wasn't until we were staring right back that she spoke again.

"You all could've gotten yourselves killed!"she spat, "If I hadn't been here, just what do you think would've happened to this sweet child?"

We were still silent, at least for a while. Kevin then seemed to give up on the whole surprised thing and gestured flat-palmed at the Heatblast, looking to Gwen and myself. "Are we seriously getting _scolded_ by a random alien?" he asked, "And did she seriously just refer to Zeke as a "sweet child", or am I losing my mind?"  
But it was the truth. We totally were getting scolded, she totally did just refer to Zeke as a sweet child. I would admit that Ze could be sweet on occasion, and I guess she still counted as a kid from an adult's perspective, but even I wouldn't use those two adjectives together.

Zeke slowly stood up, unable to tear her gaze away from the Heatblast or put on a mask of composure. She was shaken all the way down to her souvenir boots from Galvan Prime. "I.. What?" she suddenly questioned.

All of a sudden, as if brought on by the gods themselves, the Heatblast's attitude and attention shifted. She turned away from the rest of us immediately, knees bending as her hands hovered around Zeke's face. "You could've been seriously hurt," was what came from her mouth, tone now sweet like honey, "Children shouldn't involve themselves with this kind of stuff. You're so brave, young one, but you have to be more careful than that!"

Then I noticed something; Zeke wasn't using her translator. It had been necessary upon the Heatblast's arrival, yet now it seemed like we didn't need it. I reverted back to my human form and stared between Gwen and Kevin. Gwen definitely noticed the same thing I had, and she tucked away her badge - Kevin did the same only after she did but he didn't seem too happy about it. We all came forward a bit closer, to maybe get a better idea on what was going on.

The whole time that the Heatblast was cooing over her, Zeke hadn't said a word outside of her initial "What". In fact, her mouth never closed and her eyes never stopped being wide, like she couldn't believe _anything_. As the three of us stopped a few feet away from them, I caught onto the tail end of the conversation; "-and that time I had picked you up, I promise that I never intended on hurting you. You seem alright so I don't think it was all that terrible, but please forgive me, little one."

"I... What?"

Another "what" in the bag. Kevin was the boldest of us all and stepped right up to the alien, who turned her head to practically _glare_ at him. "Who do you think you are?" the raven demanded, arms crossed standoffishly against his chest, "What do you want from us?"

The Heatblast's mood made another shift and she loomed over him. "As for _you_ -" Gwen and I flinched. "-how dare you get my little one into such danger!"

Thankfully that was our tipping point, and _all_ of us started going off.

" _Your_ little one?!" Zeke squeaked out, staggering away from her and returning to our sides.  
"You're like Heatblast," Gwen commented quickly, "Whatever that species is- A Pyronite, and your race hasn't gone extinct or anything like that. You aren't really connected to Ze, are you?"  
"Her mom is human anyways," Kevin was muttering offhandedly.

I brought my hands up while I talked, unable to make any sense of the entire situation. "What are you even talking about?" I pressed, "Can't we all just get along and talk? Who even are you, what do you want with Zeke?"

She was silent for a good while, looking over the four of us and letting her stare linger on Zeke. With a small breath, the Heatblast tilted her head back, rolling her shoulders before eventually speaking. "Truthfully," she began, "I've never met the little one - Zeke, was it? - before in my life."

Jesus...

"My name is T'Iciri, from the star Pyros. Indeed, magical one, I am a Pyronite, but my ambitions are far bigger than theirs. Hence why I am here in the first place. Pyronites my age are already mothers to little ones, they've already begun teaching them and watching them play in the fire lakes. Mother Pyronites would often gather on the sunspots and exchange gossip, much like I've observed your human mothers to do. But, really, I didn't want a regular child. Your planet isn't the first one I've been to, but I believe it to be the last. I only came to Earth in search of my future child, one that has a legitimate firepower to rival our own. There's really nothing to it otherwise."

Everyone was silent despite her reaching the end of her long-winded explanation. There was nothing that I, the alien expert and previous Heatblast, could think to say; there was no quick wit or remark, or semblance of understanding. Kevin was just as shocked as the rest of us, Gwen - the "magical one" - couldn't even be her usual voice of reason or logic, and Zeke was frozen. Like a well-oiled machine, however, we reacted the same: " _What_?!"

~#~#~

T'Iciri had no plans on leaving.

She stuck around for the week after her explanation and it was more than any of us could handle. More often than not, Zeke was dragged away before we could get involved in anything that the Heatblast considered "too dangerous" for her special child. The weekend was tense with the knowledge of Zeke's leash and the fact that she wasn't with us. Come Monday, I almost couldn't help but give her all sorts of playful annoyances when we were granted free time in one of our class periods. It was just us in this one, too; Julie, Zeke, and I had physics together, Julie and Zeke had English, Julie and I had weights training and conditioning (P.E. class for athletes), Zeke and I had math, and for my history, English, and elective, I was alone.

Math had been easy today, the lesson taking thirty minutes and the rest of class being allotted to working on classwork and homework. I had finished my classwork and was on enough of a roll to keep going with my homework, resulting in fifteen minutes to spare. That's when I turned around and was met with a head of blonde, flat hair splayed out in all directions. Zeke had long since admitted defeat, face down on the desk with half-assed notes and an untouched worksheet. She didn't respond when I called to her. She didn't do anything when I poked her with my pencil. Even more of a surprise, she didn't even react when I used her head as a table to balance my assignments on.

Phones were allowed during this time, so naturally I took a picture that I would later set as a contact image. The click of the shutter had her giving a groan of complaint. My papers slipped off of her head and onto the floor, where I retrieved them to place back onto their rightful spot; only their "rightful spot" was now lifted up, and moss eyes were staring dead at me. I chuckled, smiling sympathetically as I put the assignments onto her desk. "How was your weekend?"

Her lips twitched - a touchy subject, no doubt. I cast a glance at the clock on the wall as I leaned forward, arms crossing on the desktop and body adjusting in my seat to practically sit backwards. "We have lunch next," I noted, returning my gaze to her and the evidence of stress on her face. "Wanna go off campus and get a taco? My treat."

Somehow, even my offer made her expression contort into some form of mild annoyance. Without giving me a straight answer, Zeke turned to the side and dug through her backpack. What she pulled out was a heavily glued together fast food foil wrapper. I couldn't even begin to explain what the contents of this package was, because she put it back before I could prod. When she lifted her gaze again and saw my questioning stare, the blonde let out a breath. "T'Iciri brought me lunch," came the response.

Honestly, it must've been annoying having a clingy alien woman on your back all the time, but at the same time it must've been nice for someone like Zeke. My expression softened and I gave her head a quick pat. "She means well," I insisted, "she's just...bad at subtlety. What has she been doing all this time?"

"Staying by my place," Zeke says, her gaze down on the untouched assignment. "I live with a friend I met on the internet, right? And she doesn't know that I fight aliens on the down-low or really what I do in my free time. She just knows that I'm not going home any time soon. But T'Iciri.." Her hands came up, making frustrated grasps at the empty air in her attempts to make sense of her thoughts. "T'Iciri is a flying tiki torch and way too... _clingy_. One of these days, Alina is gonna see her and freak out."

I arched a brow. "One of these days? You make it sound like she'll stay for a long time."

She shrugged and was quick to bring her head back down. With a now covered, sort of nasally voice, Zeke sighed loudly. "I don't know, Ben, I really don't. For some reason, she seems really happy whenever she sees me, and all that stuff about the firepower? Not once has she asked me to do anything with it. Like, was that really what she had wanted in the first place? I can't... I don't really _want_ to-"

 _BRIIIIIIIIIINNGG_.

The bell for lunch rang and the classroom erupted in a loud clamor. I quickly tugged my backpack out of the way of trampling feet to avoid having my stuff smashed into pancakes. Soon it was only five of us that still lingered plus the teacher, who sat down at his desk and pulled out his Tupperware lunch. I lifted my backpack into my lap and looked to Zeke as she slowly, _slooooowly_ , put her things away. We left the classroom together and wandered down the hall towards the cafeteria; it was more so me following as she wandered, somehow on a path that didn't result in any collisions. I came to her side and looked her over.

When she starts thinking too much about something, I've noticed that her brow will furrow really heavily, her forehead will crease, and she'll often bite down on the nail of her thumb with no intention of letting go. The other requirements were filled, but neither of her hands had yet to rise to her mouth. After a moment, I slowed my pace as we arrived at the cafeteria. "Do you think T'Iciri wants to stay here?" I asked.

This had Zeke stopping as well. She stepped to the side to let other students pass her but not once did she look away. "I mean.. She hasn't left yet, has she?" the blonde returned, "And she doesn't seem to be interested in going back, not even to take me with her and brag like she's mentioned."

I grinned at her and stepped closer, lowering my voice to not attract any unwanted attention. "Think we could get her to blend in?"


	5. Chapter 5

In the four days that followed my quick talk with Zeke, her mood had risen and her lunches no longer seemed like they had been welded shut in their foil. After school Friday, I rode my bike with Ze on the back to the garage where we all hung out. Kevin was already there, tucked underneath the belly of his car with an assortment of tools scattered across the floor. He must have heard the screech of the brakes or the simple "Go ahead" I told my passenger as I steadied the bike so she could get off, because he set the wrench down and slid away from his work. Sitting upward, he offered a lopsided smirk. "Hey, Ze," the raven greeted, "Did your nanny finally quit on you?"

"Har har, very funny, Kevin" she returned with a mocking tone. Despite their slight clash, it was all in good nature. Everyone had missed Zeke one way or another, and it was obvious that she missed us.

We practically tossed our bags under the white table and threw ourselves into the foldable steel chairs as Kevin cleaned up. He pulled a dirtied rag out of his jean pocket, carefully rubbing all of the oil and joint grease off into the fabric. Standing with his weight on one side, his dark eyes flickered between us. Kevin didn't usually have to entertain people, but for some reason he must've felt like he needed to. Really, he could've just gone back to his car. Gwen would be here soon - she promised to not stay longer than she needed to at that fancy school for overachievers - so that was basically all the guy was looking forward to. He stopped what he was doing, the edge of the rag caught just between his fingers.

"...shouldn't you guys be doing homework?"

I responded, "Absolutely not, I'm waiting until the weekend."

"Gotta keep them grades up, Tennyson."

"My grades _are_ up, are yours?"

"Look at this Grade-A vehicle I'm working on and then talk smack about my grades."

"Really? That's the best you've got?"

"You wanna go, Tennyson?"

That was how Zeke and I got "forced" into doing homework.

~#~#~

Gwen showed up a little bit after 3:30. _She_ had the common sense to drop her things off at home before showing up, thereby avoiding the snark of Kevin Levin and his grades. Zeke and I had finished our math and our respective history assignments, before calling it quits in our efforts to avoid physics for as long as possible. We had been caught in a mean game of Go-Fish using a pack of cards we had found lying around when Gwen got there. I horded over my victorious as I turned to her, leg kicked out casually. "Hey, Gwen," I greeted first, "look who's here."

She smiled to me and stood by the person I had been referring to. "Glad you're back, Ze," the redhead said, and Zeke nodded her agreement. They didn't talk for very long before Kevin was moving aside all of his tools and testing the adjustment to his car's engine. The loud roar so close to our ears, with no cover over the engine in the first place since the hood was up, was practically deafening. Plaid patterned playing cards flew up in the rush to shield our ears. And of course, Kevin was greatly pleased by the sound he heard. "Good girl!" he growled over the noise, giving his car a loving pat against the center console.

The engine was shut off, then we were all standing around. Again, Kevin was cleaning his hands. His eyes were latched onto Zeke who was currently playing a game of 52-pickup. She looked up, arching a brow and tilting her head. "Uh... Yeah..?"

"Where's your babysitter?"

Yes, Kevin. Straight to the point.  
He was still valid, though. I turned my cards face down onto the hard plastic table top. "Did you tell her where to go," I asked, "or what time to be here?"

Zeke looked around at us, still caught in a kneeling position but not sure whether or not she was _allowed_ to move under our stare. Eventually she ended up sighing and put the cards back on the table - face up. "She lurks everywhere," the blonde admitted with the roll of her shoulders. "I just told her to come by around four; she probably already knows where we're at, and she's just waiting so that it doesn't look weird."

We must've all given her a look that demanded if she was serious or not, because she gave a groan and plopped back into her chair. " _Geez_ , I'm just kidding."

Either way, twelve minutes later exactly, T'Iciri's flaming form landed just outside. I kind of expected her to take Zeke away (again), and I quickly needed to remind myself that there was a reason why she had come; that there was a reason why Zeke was still sitting around. T'Iciri moved first and approached us, stopping just within the confines of the garage but not getting too close. Briefly, I wondered if it was because she was unsure or if she was being courteous towards Kevin's stuff. The raven himself had gone off to the back of the garage and picked an ID mask up off one of his shelves.

Zeke and I stood up, and the four of us kind of converged onto the one spot. We had to look up at her - Kevin less so, but even he wasn't spared - and there was something calming about being in range of the Heatblast's fire. It wasn't hot or clammy, it was just...nice, for lack of a better word.

"Here's the deal," Kevin started with, holding up the mask by its eyes, "In case Ze hasn't told you, if you're really going to stay, you have to be a working adult that makes an honest living and avoids substance abuse-"

Gwen nudged him, though we could all admit that it was some good advice.

"- _so_ , in order to even be a working adult, you gotta look the part. I mean, you can already speak it pretty well." He paused there and tilted his head, giving T'Iciri a skeptical look. "You really plan on staying here? On cool-not-star planet Earth?"

I was surprised by the way her expression brightened, the way the rocky pieces of her face made such a pure hearted smile. "I have already left my planet," she answered, "If there was something for me there, I would've contemplated staying. But I am here, and now by being here.." Her head turned towards Zeke, who stood up straighter when their stares locked. "Well, even Zeke has warmed up to me~"

' _I knew it._ '

After Monday, I had been so certain that this new presence - as suffocating as she was, especially at the beginning of her arrival - was good for someone like Ze. What I meant by that was that Zeke didn't feel like she had a real home to return to. She severed all ties with a family she claimed was loveless; being on your own because of that belief couldn't have been easy. Now, she had someone giving her fast food with the intention of sending her off with lunch. It was going to kill Zeke a little slower than my chili fries were going to kill me, but it's the thought, right? It wasn't exactly family yet, but surely it could always improve?

I glanced at the blonde next to me, smiling when I noticed that her own expression had somehow brightened. Ignoring the embarrassed redness on her ears, it seemed like she agreed. She probably wouldn't admit it yet.

T'Iciri returned her gaze to Kevin and nodded her head. The flames of her body pulsed once before subsiding into a low, careful burn. She vows, "I will learn how to work among you humans, and be a good new-mother. If she will have me, even if she won't. My new life is here on Earth."

So obviously nothing was official. Even in our solo moments, Zeke has never said that she wanted a new mom, or that she wanted T'Iciri to fill the space like the Heatblast was so insistent on doing. It was pretty obvious that the blonde was without a parental figure in her personal life - her friend, Alina, was in her early twenties and technically counted as a guardian - but no doubt had T'Iciri noticed this too. Probably why she was stuck on the idea of being there in the first place.  
I can't really imagine life without my mom, or even my dad for that matter. There was no way it didn't suck not having someone like that around. Gwen obviously loved her parents, and Kevin was hyper-protective with his mother; family was a big deal.

It seemed that was a constant thing, even on Pyros.

Kevin cleared his throat and pulled me from my thoughts as he stepped closer to the Heatblast. From there, he gave her the standard rundown of what the ID Mask was and how it worked; basically the slightly longer version of the explanation he gave me before. Photonic displacement, blah blah blah, can't exactly use any abilities with it on, extra blah, set to make you look however you want. Question is, what did T'Iciri want to look like.

"Female," she offered, and all of us groaned inwardly. We had already assumed, though, you know, better not embarrass her while she could still roast us alive.

This was kind of where the rest of us came in, Zeke with only a few comments here and there. We figured it would be better if she looked _somewhat_ like Zeke - this shut the blonde up a lot more than I wish it would've. Must've been weird having the appearance be sort of based on her own, when she still hadn't accepted T'Iciri as a figure of anything. But, it was an idea to work off of.

Gwen basically picked it up from there. Kevin and I were quick to step off, the former only lingering for when they were ready to use the mask. The conversation had moved on to hair types, hair colors, hair styles, and I hadn't ever seen someone so _interested_ in the topic like the Heatblast was. Zeke looked about ready to join Kevin and myself in the land of not-hair, but it didn't seem like Gwen would let her either. After all, she was a girl too, so surely she would be of some help.  
Then there was eye color, eye _shapes_ for god's sake! Eyelashes, eyebrows, lips, skin - nothing was missed by my thorough cousin. It got to the point where they were even discussing clothes.

T'Iciri had obviously seen human women before, that was what allowed her to contribute to the conversation of features. When it came to fashion, she - like Zeke, so I guess it worked out - had no clue about any of it. So long as they didn't have a repeat of Ze's weird sleeves and color issues, then it would be fine. Well, Gwen was in charge of it so I wasn't too worried. I missed the entirety of the conversation, only tuning in as Gwen laughed and turned to gesture for Kevin.

"Unless you want to be normal height," she was saying, "then no heels for you. You'd tower over everyone."

It was the moment of truth, the final stretch before T'Iciri became an unofficial, honorary human. Kevin handed the mask to Gwen, who looked over the technical layer on the inside of the material. Being a previous ID Mask user, I can say that very little had to be done with the actual mask itself. When I had used it after taking it off of a DNAlien, all I needed was to use the side ticks on the outer edge of the mask yet just on the inside. It let me either set to what the previous appearance had been, a new one, or what the previous _user_ had been. Kind of handy for detective work when you thought about it.

She flicked her nail against what I knew was the 'new appearance' function and handed it to T'Iciri. Likewise, the Heatblast took it carefully into her hands. Gwen wasn't burned and the mask wasn't melting, so you could say that it was all going smoothly. Hesitantly laying it over her face, we all waited with our breath held. I'm pretty sure a few minutes passed before anything changed. T'Iciri was outlined in a blue glow as her appearance shifted before our very eyes. When it all settled, Kevin gave a thumbs up. "You can keep the mask for free," he said, "Though if you break it, don't come cryin' to me."

"Is it... Is it okay?" T'Iciri asked, her voice and now her freely expressive face giving away just how uneasy she was feeling.

It was Zeke who spoke up, saying, "You look like a regular human. Still giving off a lot of heat, though, but... Yeah, it's fine."

Afterwards, we spent a good bit of time on countless baby name websites and even a name generator to find a new name for this new human. Finding the English letters for T'Iciri's name had been way too difficult for us, so we sounded it out; the generators are useless because it spits out names that aren't even names in the first place. I leaned back in my chair, puffing my cheeks with a tired breath. Gwen looked over her shoulder as she was currently leaning over the laptop. "You can always keep your name," she offered, "we just got to find some kind of origin for it."

T'Iciri asked, "Do we _have_ to find an origin?"

Kevin, from underneath his car (again), grunted his reply. "Humans in America will always ask you where your name is from if it's not something easy," he said, a few rusted bolts clattering to the ground as he replaced them.

So we kept going. Finally, we stopped on an easy name that sounded kind of funny, yet had the first and last letters of T'Iciri's name. Gwen, Zeke, and I looked at the Heatblast, who seemed just as interested in the name as we did. We came to a decision then, and returned to our homes that night. Sure, she didn't have a last name but that could be figured out later. I was kind of impressed with the day's events. T'Iciri had been so dead set on following Kevin's plan of working almost immediately, so Gwen and I offered to help her get a job tomorrow. Primarily walk-ins and anything that seemed easy, yet at the same time we had to remember that she wasn't from this world.  
This wasn't going to be easy.


	6. Chapter 6

Gwen and I were the good guys, we spared Kevin from playing teacher to an alien that didn't totally understand a whole lot and gave Zeke a day to herself. _We_ were the good guys, so how come we practically got turned away by a Mr. Smoothie's? It had to do with the new human we took around on work-trips, T'Iciri, or as all of Bellwood was beginning to know her by; Toi.

A kind of toned, really tall woman with a sharp nose, round eyes, plush lips. Her hair was parted in the middle, went down to her shoulders, and was the curliest thing in this universe - curlier than even Top Ramen. It was a honey amber that glistened like stones in the sunlight, a nice color, but currently coated in a purple layer of smoothie. The customer she had handed the smoothie to hadn't been expecting it to be so hot - it was a _smoothie_ \- and in his panic, knocked it straight up. It spilt into the service window, over the counter, soaked straight through the napkins, the test-hire uniform and the customer's own clothing. Thing is, the smoothie still steamed a little bit.

That was our first bust. Toi was fired for endangering a customer with her smoothie making skills; for the hour she worked, next Friday she could pick up her paycheck. She didn't seem bothered by it, Gwen remained in high spirits, but I was crushed by the fact that I had been asked to leave a Mr. Smoothie's. Thankfully, it wasn't our usual smoothie stop, so I wasn't too crushed over it. It lasted all of about thirty minutes as we moved onto the next stop.

Saying it wasn't going to be easy had been the understatement of the century.

~#~#~

This was the fate of the entire day. We helped her as best we could, telling her the best way to act and how to do certain things if the job required it. Eventually we got tired of walking around the city and called up Kevin, who as no longer spared from the situation at hand. He drove us around from stop to stop, until we had to take a break.

She tried retail and made customers uncomfortable when it came to clothing choices - way too close for comfort - so she didn't last that long. There had even been dog walking that _didn't_ end in complete failure, however the dogs were scared of her so it's not like she could've walked them anyways. Only reason it wasn't a complete waste was because the employer had boiled it down to just the dogs' choice and not the fact that this woman was off in some way; he paid her the amount promised because of the effort. Good guy, really. I'd kind of want to see his reaction if he knew that this pretty looking woman with boiling emerald eyes was actually an alien. Would probably be the shock of the century for him.

Toi tried daycare as an aid to the actual person in charge, and she was great help during nap time when all of the kids wanted to crowd the living heater. It's just when it got to arts and crafts that she broke their hearts with blunt, honest guesses at their macaroni creations; the staff was almost positive she had taught them a swear word by calling a kids giraffe "something that hurled into Pyros". It really does sound innocent enough until a bunch of 5 year-olds start chanting it and integrating it into their potty mouth vernacular.

Even as we drove to the next stop on our list, Kevin just couldn't resist. "You smell like _Pyros_.." he giggled stupidly.

Cleaning rooms kind of didn't work either. She got really into the job, and did it well, it was just the fact that she barged into a guest's room because she noticed a nasty heap of takeout containers that had fallen to the floor. They had still been there. Had there not been another maid that was walking her through it, they would've called the cops. That was the record of it all; two and a half hours of working. We almost decided to leave her and hang out elsewhere should it have continued along smoothly. Which, you know, it didn't but we really couldn't blame her for it.

Assistant librarian didn't work because she got distracted with the books and spoke way too loudly. It was like she didn't know how to talk quietly when she was excited - an honest mistake.  
Pet store flopped but we should've seen that coming considering how smoothly the dog thing had gone.  
The local florist was absolutely _livid_ when the flowers dried up like raisins in the care of her new hire.  
We tried other retail stores.

Uh... Let's just leave it at that.

~#~#~

We had finally encountered a new record. There was this pub-like restaurant off of Fourth Street in need of help, Toi asked if they were willing to give her a shot (because she had seen how to do the asking from us so many times before), and they were willing to give her a shot. After a while of watching through the windows, it was kind of made clear _why_ she was still around despite tripping five times, breaking glasses, and spilling contents of plates and glasses alike; her personality. While us teenagers thought Toi to be awkward and unaccustomed to everything, her naïve yet cheerful disposition was charming to the establishment.

Whenever something broke, the woman would apologize endlessly and offer to make it up in any way possible. With it being fairly late into the evening, most patrons were considerably relaxed, never taking it too personally. There had been one guy, big, burly, and a regular with how long he had been sitting there even BEFORE her arrival, that just about caused the three of us to charge in. Toi tripped on chair leg - an honest mistake - and in her tumble, spilt beer into his lap. He shot to his feet and loomed over her, fist slammed down on the table. None of us caught what he said, but it was obviously not something nice.

She apologized, gestured her willingness to make up for it by cleaning it up or rinsing off his jacket. The man wasn't having it either. What saved her - _and_ him from getting smacked around by a bunch of defensive teenagers - was the kindness of some of the other patrons. A man leaned back in his chair before raising his glass. Whatever he said sent a soothing ripple through the others, then they all just about shut down the drunken man. Toi had gathered a few fans, it seemed, and the bartender dismissed her apology with the wave of his hand.

"Thing she'll keep this one?" Gwen asked hopefully, a small smile on her face.

I couldn't keep from smiling either, leaning my shoulder against the window. "It seems like it," I answered, "She'll probably get better at it, too, if she holds the positon down."

The day came to a close but, unfortunately, we had a problem. Toi could take the mask off and go about her night as usual, however she insisted on keeping the human form. She wasn't necessarily homeless, she had a job for now, but being on the streets was weird. The ID mask kept her from using her powers, so now her time couldn't be spent flying or avoiding suspicious authorities.

Kevin couldn't bring a random woman home to his mother, especially without warning. Gwen was able to sneak Zeke for a little while but her parents already knew the blonde so it wasn't weird; again, a random woman we didn't devise a backstory for was borderline unacceptable. _I_ definitely couldn't do it either considering how my parents were. That only left an option of Zeke - or paying for a hotel/motel room with money we didn't exactly have.

~#~#~

"You're kidding.."

Sure enough, Zeke wasn't happy about it. None of us had ever visited her at Alina's apartment before but we knew where it was, it was just getting their that was the problem. Once we found her - thanks to Toi knowing what floor and what side of the building she was on - we were not exactly welcomed.

She slouched in the doorway, a light from the kitchen just past the entryway of the apartment being one of the only lights on in the entire place. The TV was on, however the volume had been muted. Had the circumstances not been so weird, I would've pestered her for a tour. Smiling sheepishly, I gestured to Toi, who stood between our trio. "Sorry, Ze," I apologized, "we just need a place for Toi to stay until we figure everything out. You can say it's a family friend, maybe then Alina would be more understanding-"

"She went back home to Canada for a few days," the blonde interrupted suddenly, almost bitterly. "It's just me."

I felt bad for imposing this on her. Kevin didn't feel the same but Gwen certainly did; Toi seemed to tune in to the mood of the situation, because her expression contorted into sorrow. I guess now, after being exposed to all sorts of humans and the one guy that was actually mean to her, the Heatblast understood the annoyance and anger in Zeke's expression, stance, and voice. The whole attitude enchilada.

Toi tried to mitigate the situation - something I desperately wished she _didn't_ do - by putting her hands together and speaking up first. "I...understand," she tried to say, "that you are upset. With me, most likely.. I won't be a burden, I won't bother you much. I have a job - I will be working! However, I still stand by what I came here to do, so in time I hope that you will come to accept me as your caretaker."

This passed a level that didn't need to be passed. I watched the vein appear on Zeke's temple, watched her eyebrow twitch and the muscles in her neck clench. "Accept you?" she repeated, "How am I supposed to _accept_ you when you just forced yourself into our lives- MY life? Look, T'Iciri, you're super nice and all but I didn't ask for this. I don't care if you stay here but you'd be better off going back to your damn planet. Be my guest, whatever."

Gwen, bless her heart, tried to calm the other down. She could read people better than anyone else so maybe she saw something the rest of us didn't. It didn't matter if Kevin was surprised or if I was in a state of shock, or if Toi just couldn't comprehend what had just happened, because Gwen did. Extending her hand out, the redhead took a step closer and began to speak. "Zeke, please take a brea-"

She was brushed off, even pushed aside as Zeke stomped out of the apartment and into the hall. Unfortunately, judging from the way my cousin and Kevin looked to me expectantly, I had to do the calming. I gave a quick apology to Toi before chasing the blonde down, following her to the stairwell as I tried to get her to listen to me.

 **(Switched P.O.V)**

Ben's voice faded away over time, calling the same name in its different variations while leaving the three to stand dumbfounded in the hallway. No one really knew how to act, or what to do now. That's when Kevin, brooding as he was, sighed. "I'll show you around, Toi," he offered. Ushering the ladies inside he closed the door behind them, but left it unlocked.

"You don't know this place," Gwen told him, "How can you show her around a place you've never been?"

"Cookie-cutter design, my dear. Common sense. Doesn't take a genius to map out an apartment."

Sure enough, it wasn't rocket science to explain the layout to a bummed yet equally curious alien. They wandered through the small kitchen, the living space and the large window that opened out to the fire escape, then the hallway with the bathroom at the end of it and two rooms opposite of each other. One was dark, probably Alina's so they didn't go in there. The other was only dimly lit by a desk lamp. It felt weird to check out the bedroom, like they were snooping through a place they shouldn't have.

Zeke's décor wasn't exactly extravagant either. She had a simple twin sized bed pushed up into the far corner, a white desk with attached shelving in the other corner of the same wall, and an assortment of shirts laying on the floor. There was only one poster, which was a clearly worn down Sumo Slammers live action movie poster from a thrift shop (that wasn't a good memory).

When they finished the tour, Toi opted for sitting on the couch and staring at the muted TV. Gwen and Kevin stood just in the threshold of the hallway, watching her with curious silence. The alien didn't seem super bothered by Zeke's outburst anymore, yet the hurt was expressed so clearly on her human features. While the outburst was COMPLETELY uncalled for at the time, it's not like it didn't make sense. Who knew what Zeke had been doing the entire day if not thinking about it? Toi had good intentions but that kind of stuff didn't just happen there on Earth, especially so soon after the identity crisis.

Playing on the TV in it's deafening silence was one of those funny video shows. The episode itself detailed family home videos; children stuck in swing sets, parents chasing after their kids. It was coincidental, pure chance. A little...weirdly timed, however maybe Zeke was feeling upset in general because of it.

"We're going to go get Zeke," Kevin announced, steering Gwen towards the door as he walked, "When she gets back, it's probably for the best if you _pretend_ to be asleep." The alien only nodded and fiddled with the TV remote in her hands. Her attention was so intently latched onto the videos that were playing, like she was analyzing every detail. There was nothing else to be said, nothing else to be _done_ , so the two left the apartment quietly.

As it turned out, Ben had chased the blonde all the way out to the street. Then she took off like a rocket and left him in the dust. When Kevin and Gwen got back down to the car, he was sitting there on the curb, leaned forward with his arms crossed over his knees.

~#~#~

Toi waited. She waited, waited, and waited. By now, she had figured out how to turn the TV off and sat quietly. Kevin told her to feign sleep but she was adamant about staying alert for when Zeke, eventually, came back. That stupid show about funny videos had opened some kind of subconscious eye, really. Now the alien was a bit understanding of how maybe her human "special child" was feeling.

All of that closure those parents had was something she didn't understand. The interactions? Similar to what she had witnessed on Pyros. The silly antics of children? Less amusing than those of the children on Pyros yet still _considerably_ funny. Zeke hadn't asked for the invasion of an alien into her life and Toi, it seemed, hadn't asked for such a massive lack of understanding on her part. It was like a language barrier, something she thought herself to have long since conquered.

The window slid open. Toi didn't move immediately, sitting with her hands clasped neatly in her lap. Metal clanked together and the breath behind masks was husky and rough. The glint of a blade appeared over her right shoulder, prompting the woman to turn her head of luscious curls for a peek. Men in armor surrounded the couch, filing in from the fire escape. They had moved with surprising silence despite their metal attire, the faces on their masks grim and somber. The one that held a sword threateningly close to her spoke up. "Come with us," he ordered, " _Quietly_."

Of course she put up a fight. Her strength was superior to that of the smaller men, however there were a few factors that had to be taken into consideration. For starters, the ID mask inhibited her powers. Though she was still strong and incredibly warm, none of her natural abilities as a Pyronite were available to her. Secondly, as the end table shattered into splinters from the landing of a thrown knight, she decided that breaking the belongings of Zeke and Zeke's human friend was NOT something she wanted to do. Toi ended up surrendering, however her little bout of resistance had pissed the men off so they didn't settle with energy cuffs right away.

Though her hands were up in defeat, the leader with the sword still signaled his men to tackle her to the ground, trampling the coffee table under their boots and cracking the TV screen when they crashed into her. Toi felt no panic, no anger, no real interest in her fate now that it was absolute.

~#~#~


	7. Chapter 7

**(Normal P.O.V.)**

For the majority of the day, all contact with Zeke - and Toi for that matter - was lost. She didn't answer her phone, we had no idea if she ever made it home or where she had gone in the first place, and because the apartment belonged to someone else it wasn't like we could've busted the door down to check. Well, Kevin could've, and probably would've if Gwen hadn't been the voice of reason. She summed it up as being the work of a Sunday; maybe Toi and Zeke were bonding over some preacher at church.

Yeah, that theory just about self-destructed

The three of us had been about to split off for the remainder of the day to do our own things when my phone rang. Initially, we thought nothing of it - just a phone call, probably Julie or someone else. It wasn't until I checked the name on the screen that, mid-step up the driveway of my house and just before Kevin could take off, that I actually reacted. Practically throwing myself at the car, I hit the answer button - promptly ignoring Kevin when he complained about my weight denting his baby.

"Zeke!" I exclaimed as I held the phone to my ear, "Where have you been? Are you okay?" It took a careful reminder on my part to slow down. After all, everyone was entitled to not answer their phone from time to time. Kevin and Gwen looked at me expectantly. We were all waiting to see what our little friend had been up to.

Her voice came out fast and distressed, the exact opposite of what we had been hoping for. In fact, at first all I even heard was my name. Zeke panted a few times before she could speak again, talking in fast words, "Ben, where are you?! Please tell me you're close by or _something_ \- it's terrible!"

"Woah, woah..! Slow down, Ze, I'm in front of my house. What's wrong?"

From the other end was the hot shriek of flames, hitches of breath. Gwen pushed open her door and pointed down the street, calling a quick, "Over there!"

Zeke was never the type to fly with her flames. That's why her arrival from around the corner was such a surprise. The fire that had swallowed her feet was stomped out as she hit the ground running, still holding her phone to her ear like it was some kind of lifeline. I hung up first and just about tossed my phone into my pant pocket before running to meet her halfway.

If she _sounded_ distressed then she definitely looked the part. Her eyes were red as if she had been on the verge of tears, her skin was clammy, her face was pale, there were dark marks under her eyes and, the dead giveaway, the lower parts of her pants and the wrists of her shirt were slightly singed. Her control over her flames had been slipping, probably because of her emotional state. Desperation had Zeke tackling into me, words flying from her mouth in tangled strings. In return I tightly gripped her upper arms and held her out at arm's length. She was _frantic_ , like twelve degrees above distressed. I managed to catch onto her words mid-sentence.

"-and it's not like I _meant_ what I said, I was just upset and I don't think-! No, I definitely didn't mean for her to leave, I'm such a jerk but I don't think she just poofed either, there was too much stuff and I-"

" _Zeke!_ "

I caught her by surprise. The blonde shut up in a heartbeat, looking up at me with wide, hurting eyes. Well, by that point it was pretty obvious that something was wrong so I didn't have to ask. Gwen came up beside me, radiating that soothing aura she usually had about her. When I wasn't being super cool or leader-like or even heroic, I was pretty sure the energy _I_ gave off was anxious as hell; I was grateful for the support.

With a small breath I returned my attention to Zeke who, by that point, had calmed down enough to catch her breath. My grip loosened, hands lowering to her forearms. "C'mon," I encouraged carefully, "start over, but this time do it like 200% more slowly."

She nodded, able to keep her voice steady as she responded, "Toi's gone."

 **~#~**

What we arrived at was nothing shot of a crime scene. The end table was smashed to smithereens, the coffee table was broken in half, and there was a _painful_ shatter on the TV screen. As Gwen, Kevin, and I wandered around for additional clues, Zeke was following me around like a lost puppy. I don't think I could've blamed her, really. Toi was gone, stuff was broken, and of course there was the backlash of the stuff Zeke had said last night. Throw everything together and you had the perfect concoction of guilt and shame. It's happened to me a few hundred times before, so I get it.

All of us converged back in the living room, as there was nothing else but the damage dealt there. Kevin, casual, tucked his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. "Think she rampaged and went home?" he wondered aloud. Zeke's head lowered.

"If she did," I countered, "then where's the ID mask? She can't go flying with it still on."

"Good point."

"Besides, if she wanted to rampage I'm sure she could've punched a hole completely through the TV and not just break the glass."

Small, detective-like comments was pretty much all that any of us said. The biggest thing, I believe, was that no one really _believed_ that Toi would rampage or get angry like that. Both Gwen and Kevin had even said that she was sitting on the couch when they left, calm and far from angry. Gwen reached her hand out and squeezed Zeke's shoulder, offering a warm smile as she said, "I'll feel around for her energy. I've been around her long enough to at least recognize it."

She closed her eyes, the rest of us stepping back to give her space. With her hands lifted gently and her breathing slowed, it didn't long for her eyes to glow neon pink. I noticed it occasionally, but whenever Gwen spread her energy out like that, I could practically feel it flow around my heart like a warm river. Maybe it was because I had a little of Anodite in me too, as tiny as it was.

A shudder suddenly raked through my cousin's body, forcing her to jolt out of her state of focus. Kevin was at her side in an instant with a hand hovering over her shoulder. "You okay?"

"Yeah," she answered, "I just wasn't expecting..."

She turned to face Zeke with a stern expression. Gwen began to explain, saying, "I can still feel Toi, but there were other people here, too." Thanks to her detective expertise, we were directed to the window that opened out to the fire escape and found that, not only was it unlocked, but the securing notch had been scraped against by a sharp object.

Kevin examined it carefully, occasionally with a thoughtful nod to back up his prodding. "Classic technique," he finally announced, "Old hook-lock meets thin enough blade to knock it open from the outside. Good for a sneaky break-in."

For the first _real_ time since we got to the apartment, Zeke spoke up. "What, so Toi got abducted? She could kick their asses no problem - she's an _alien_!"

"Shall we go pay them a visit?" I offered. Turning my head, I looked over my shoulder at Gwen. "Even without a physical item, once you've got a lock on her energy you can follow it, right?"

One nod was all it took to send Zeke - and the rest of us - for the door. The painfully obvious guilt that had been radiating off of the blonde was replaced with anger. I smirked, making a mental note to tease her about it later. After all, she totally did care.


	8. Chapter 8

Honestly? I don't think any of us had been ready for the path Gwen set us on. Good ole evening-painted Bellwood gave way to a seedier part of town, that eventually opened up to desert. What waited for us, it seemed, was a red stone colored building tucked behind one of the larger, rocky rises that littered the landscape. Things got worse when we saw the castle-esque details. "Are you kidding me?" Kevin snapped first as he slammed the driver's door shut, "A castle? Forever Knights? _Seriously_?"

The three of us hung back but not entirely by choice. See, Zeke had thrown all caution to the wind and was stomping towards the large iron double doors of the humbly sized castle. It looked more like a king's temp-home than an actual estate, really. Part of me wondered why the Forever Knights would ever need a rinky dink shack like this when they had, like...two castles in Bellwood alone.

As we drew closer and the sun began its descent over the horizon, it became quite clear that the deep-seeded anger in Zeke was being expelled in puffs of flame from her mouth. They were quick, hasty, but the way her shoulders rose and fell told me she was taking slow, even paces of breath. So, she was angry, but still in control. I had just never seen her do any kind of fire breathing before. As a matter of fact, I don't think I've ever seen her in such a state before. After her return from Galvan Prime, it seemed she was getting more emotive, more expressive, but not all of the emotions were necessarily good.

"Ben," chimed my cousin, "we don't know what to expect. They're probably waiting for us.."

I nodded in agreement before spurring forward to lag only a step behind Zeke. A little forcibly, I cleared my throat. "Ze, I know you're upset but don't you think maybe we should think about this before crashing in?" I asked her, "We still don't know what they want or why they just so _happened_ to take Toi, so let's-"

She cut me off. "Ben?"

"Y-yeah..?"

"I've come to realize that I'm stronger while there's still a sun out. So, naturally, I'm gonna go nuts to prove a point before it gets too dark."

For emphasis - probably - the blonde chose that EXACT moment to blast a fire ball right into the heavy doors. They hadn't been locked, they weren't pure iron so now not only where they burning, but they were also thrown open almost instantly. The inside was lit in a cool, icy blue, and a rush of steam filled the air from the contact between bitter cold and raging heat. The residents within just about made me throw up my lunch from shock alone.

.

DNAliens filled that lone room, while Forever Knights in armor I didn't quite recognize as a common faction of the organization surrounded a chair. Sat upon that very chair and secured with an abundance of ropes was none other than our quarry - our very target who seemed surprisingly unbothered by her predicament. But you can bet that, when she saw just who it was that led this little charge, Toi's face lit up like an airport runway. "Sweet one!" she exclaimed.

No cringe, no recoil, no nothing. Zeke just stormed the castle up beyond the threshold, consistent flames about a foot long stemming from the knuckles of her clenched fists. It melted the frost that covered the stone floor, carving a damp path aimed dead for the center. Unfortunately, none of us made it much farther than that: "Not another step."

From the darkness of the back wall came a Highbreed, and with him, more DNAliens I hadn't even noticed before now. My hand snapped to my Omnitrix quickly, activating the dial and preparing to slam it back down without any regard for the alien it preemptively selected. Highbreeds weren't easy by any means, however we had been fairing pretty well against them with our extra firepower. Then again, this one had a small army and some Forever Knights. Despite the few yards of space between us, I could almost see a shriveled, dried burn under the cover of his membrane-like wings This was one we had faced before no doubt, it almost obvious in the disdain his red eyes bore.

Kevin, who had armored up with stone before we entered, gave a small "huh" of interest. "Snotbags and ye old tuna cans, who would've thunk it," he mocked. Smooth as an eel, too. I'll happily give you credit for that, Levin.

Thanks to the emotional of his reinforcements, this particular Highbreed wasn't fazed by the insult. I took the stage then, negotiating the terms of his butt-whooping. "Let the lady go," I told him, despite the little voice of common sense telling me I shouldn't provoke him, "or prepare to get smacked. Taking a bystander is a low blow, even for you!"

"If it was a bystander," he countered with his nasally growl, "you _fools_ wouldn't have even known they were missing."

Touché... We kinda outted ourselves with that. But, his comment did the same for him.

It seemed like this wasn't an entirely random attack. Forever Knights and the DNAlien crew working together... We knew they did weapon deals together, but I never would've guessed they'd be friendly enough to join together for...whatever it was they had planned. The Highbreed swung his arms out in a sweeping motion, standing proud and tall over every single species in that room. "I grew weary of you worms intervening and fighting with the unbridled fate of my species," he declared, "so, I sought out a way to put an end to it. You've made quite a few enemies, you see, and cursed humans such as yourselves are so "kind" and "heroic" that of course you wouldn't let someone you knew get hurt."

He was far more sassy than the others we had encountered. Probably because he did what I thought to be impossible; joining forces with the Forever Knights, being stubborn (and stupid) enough to seek revenge, and devise a brilliant plan to lure us out. It would've all been a nice change of pace had his monologue not been right on the money. My gaze traveled to Toi, worried for her well-being and just what the Highbreed planned on doing in ways of cutting a deal.

"Ben," Gwen whispered, pointing to our left flank and the corners to our rear. There were oil dreams leaking some kind of gunky, pustule fluid into the cracks of the floor. "I think those are the same things they used to turn people into DNAliens, like they did to Ken.."

.

Okay. Well. By deductive reasoning we now knew how he intended on removing us from his flat butt, but it wasn't a major concern; I was still latched onto Toi. It must've slipped my mind that she wasn't human. Despite the Highbreed and his forces, his manipulation and his towering presence, she remained unbothered. This was just another Sunday she couldn't wait to end. I wasn't the only one who noticed it either, because the hesitation in all of our bodies faded out like smoke. Twisting the dial of the Omnitrix with only the slightest twitch of my fingers, the holographic projection rolled to Humungousaur. "I can hold off the Highbreed," I announced. Gwen got her magic ready, Kevin elongated his forearms and sharped his hands to a point like blades, and Zeke smirked.

She attacked first, swinging her arm to the side and altering that initial flame into bigger, rolling waves, shrieking as it expanded to meet the DNAliens. Steam rose up like fog as the temperature spiked. The Highbreed gave the command to attack. I slammed down onto the dial and felt every part of me change right down to the molecular level.

.

"HUMUNGO- Aww man... Jetray it is." Settling with my jerk-Omnitrix' decision I shot for the head honcho. Forever Knights wouldn't be too much of an issue - Gwen could handle that on her own, no sweat - while the DNAliens, though numerous, would get a rude awakening - Zeke's fire and Kevin's signature slamming. In theory, it all seemed too easy. Until I enacted my unintentional plan of pissing of the Highbreed like a gnat. A continuous beam from the eyes marked a path across his skin. A quick, swooping headbutt with my large brow knocked him off balance. An offhanded no-look shot from my tail staggered into his chest. I just wanted to weaken him, force him down while staying out of his reach. Joining both the beam from my eyes and the beam from my tail, I utterly assaulted him with an unrelenting ray, forcing him to his knees with a roar.

Smoke rolled off of him, the pressure too much. His voice pierced the deepest recesses of my very mind as he peered past the cover of his arm. "You really think I'd be so foolish as to not be prepared?" he questioned, tone far too silky for someone getting pummeled to oblivion. "Facing multiple fire users, aliens, and pesky brats _again_ with no plan? You're more stupid than you look." It threw me off so badly that the intensity of my ray faltered. This gave him the perfect chance to rip up some of the stone floor and fling it at me, knocking my body out of the air.

I was unable to catch myself in time, landing with a hard and unforgiving thud. It wasn't enough to force me back into human but I was starting to wish it had. Chills raced up my spine, the thin steam grew thick and dense. I could faintly hear the whir of a machine somewhere in the distance. Everything around me appeared to slow down. It was as if time itself was ebbing to a stop. But as sharp, chilling fractals hastily formed against my taut skin, I realized that everyone else was actually slowing down.

Gwen got overpowered painstakingly slowly by equally sluggish Forever Knights. Kevin looked to be having a hard time bending his arms or moving at all. Each burst of flame expelled by Zeke got few and far between. The DNAliens, respectively, seemed like they sped up. Soon I couldn't even move. I was too cold, too _literally_ frozen to do anything. Jetray's body temperature plummeted beyond levels his species could handle. He was...reptilian or something, undoubtedly coldblooded. This was going to kill me for sure. Lucky for me, the Omnitrix timed out, reverting me back to my warm blooded state.

The change in my own body temperature still wasn't enough. I made it like six inches further across the ground and almost up to a kneel. Well, I made it to my knees at least, but the muscles in my body seized up with the cold. It hurt to breathe, much less move. Soon, even Zeke's fire stopped. We were helpless to the freeze.

The Highbreed laughed maniacally, probably the most emotion I've ever heard out of his kind. "If your human groups are good for anything," he said, "it's your resources."

' _So that's why he...and the Knights..'_

DNAliens clicked in their grotesque victory and the Forever Knights cheered in chattered, shivering tones - insulated armor was my guess, but now the Highbreed could convert them all. There was no fighting this cold even if they were the ones to construct the device to do it... Wherever it was... My legs went numb and my fingers hurt like hell, like trying to bend them would cause them to snap in half. Frost gathered on my eyelashes, dangling crystals before my eyes. I could hardly see anymore. But I at least noticed the frigid swears from Kevin that echoed in the room in a whisper, or the soft calls from Gwen that begged for a plan. I couldn't hear Zeke though.

She had always been something of a living heater, so this sudden drop in temperature must've been way too much of a shock. Which scared me. Humans I could understand, Anodite-humans weren't all that complicated, and whatever Kevin was still constituted as human. I knew their species, not whatever the hell Zeke had some of. I could only hope that the DNA she possessed was capable of withstanding the cold, and that there was such a miniscule amount in her that, if they _weren't_ resistant to the cold, it wouldn't cost her dearly. Or me. I wasn't about to lose her again either.

.

At some point during my internal monologue, I had forgotten to breathe, and I couldn't see at all. I gasped for air but only choked as it freezed up my throat. So, it wasn't that I had _forgotten_ , it was that my body held out in the name of self preservation. This was hell.  
And, suddenly, the frozen bitterness of hell got _hot_.

"What... What is this..?!" the Highbreed demanded.

Slowly, I blinked, then blinked again. Like tears, the frost that covered my eyes spilled down my face and dripped off my chin. It took a bit to get rid of the blur, but soon I could see again, even move my head. Stiffly, I craned my neck towards the Highbreed just as he took a panicked step _away_ from his captive. Toi was completely engulfed in flames, still sitting calmly upon her seat. It wasn't until the wooden legs beneath her splintered and cracked that she stood up. As my eyesight returned to normal, I watched the once solid ID mask droop off of her face like liquid wax. Her height grew, her shoulders broadened, and solid red earth appeared amidst the flames.

The poor Highbreed was in agony, attempting to retreat further into the cold shadows of the room before it could melt away. It was like he didn't know what to do next, like he couldn't even _fathom_ the sight before him. Soon there was no place for him to run. His lackeys screeched and screamed, one igniting after the next. The air wobbled like foil, heatwaves distorting my vision and only making it worse. I could move my fingers - that was a bonus - but now I was sweating, swaying on my knees as I fought to stay aware. Somewhere in the corner of my vision, I saw a magical pink dome be erected around Gwen and Kevin, their figures only silhouettes. Zeke was...somewhere...couldn't see her. _Didn'_ _t_ see her until she was suddenly in front of him, skin red and blotchy and blisteringly hot.

She took care to pull her long sleeves up over her hands before blotting at my face, giving light taps against my cheeks in attempts to get me to pay attention. My whole world suddenly focused in on her. It was either because she was the only distinguishable thing around me or because I was so scattered brain that it was an attempt out of self-preservation to not pass out. Sort of worked too.

"You..." I croaked, "Alive..?"

"Yes, I'm alive." Her voice's strength held up better than mine did. "Are... Are you?"

"Prob..ab..le.."

Fear shot over her features - I think - so my answer didn't really please her. "Hang in there, Ben," she said, "Toi will stop soon. I hope.. Gwen can't risk moving. The temperature is pretty high in her force field but at least it's stable. If she moves, it'll spike.."

Sluggishly, I shrugged off my jacket, and when that wasn't enough I pulled at my shirt. "Help... Help me...get out of this.." I couldn't see her anymore. Just darkness. I was so incredibly dehydrated now, so incredibly nauseous, that I didn't risk trying to look around. I felt her hands, surprisingly cool, or at least cool in comparison to the burning world around us, grab onto mine. For a moment, I was hopeful; she was going to help me liberate myself from the demon of hot, muffling cotton! "Shoes...sweaty," I babbled, "Socks...too thick... Pants too...tight.."

"It compliments your figure."

"Wha.."

 **~#~**

I opened my eyes, staring up at a star filled sky. City lights always irked me. They illuminated the darkness with unnatural hues, turned it into a dull navy blue and let only planes and satellites shine brighter than its street lamps. Nothing could compare to the night skies I saw five years ago on the road with Grandpa Max, and even after I came home I still found myself drawn to the night. Before that fateful summer, I didn't once consider looking up. They were just stupid lights in a stupid sky. It's not like they were going anywhere. But every night we had a fire, when all electronics were banned for a few hours and we ate marshmallows after a less than human dinner, my gaze always traveled skyward. Sometimes, the glances lasted only a moment, other times they lasted forever.

Now that I know about aliens, now that I know other worlds; now that I know how fleeting human life is, how short my own life could be with all the heroics I do just because I _can_ , even after that summer trip.. Even after I gave up the Omnitrix and even after I lost Grandpa Max.. I fell in love with the night sky and its shimmering stars. Love and hope, and adventure, and beautiful freedom... All right there, within reach.

"You're awake..." She came into view, her face focusing sharply over me while the stars blurred behind her head. A curtain of dishwater blonde hair fell into view, slipping past her ears and threatening to tickle against my face. Mossy green eyes, warmed by a fire deep inside. Her sudden appearance didn't startle me, nor stray me too far from my thoughts of beautiful stars.

I smiled softly, staring up with half-lidded, tired eyes. Slowly, I brought up my left hand and poked playfully at her chin. "Yeah.." my voice rasped, "I'm up.." My motor functions were a little slowed, but I knew that didn't excuse how I pulled my hand away just to glide it through her hanging locks. Playful, again, but kind of absentmindedly. Zeke didn't bat my hand away. If anything, it amused her. "We're alive, right?" I asked. "I'm too sticky and clammy to be dead."

Somewhere out of sight, I heard Kevin gag. "I never, _ever_ wanted to associate you with the word clammy, Tennyson. That's just gross.."

"Not heaven. Definitely hell."

"I heard that!"

Zeke chuckled under her breath and shook her head, leaning away from my reach. "We're outside of the castle," she reported, "We're all here.. Some of the Forever Knights got away somehow, and I don't know what happened to the Highbreed, but I don't think they'll be teaming up ever again. Or coming back for that matter."

I took my time to sit up, the metal of the car's hood creaking under my weight. My head spun but it was kind of an easy, lulling Ferris wheel kind of spin, not too sickening so long as I kept things calm and slow. Looking around, I noticed that to the left of me was a warm glow, but I would get to that.  
On my right - rather, sitting next to me with her legs hanging off the side - was Zeke. Her brown long sleeve was tied around her waist as she showed off a black Sumo Slammers Graphic Tee I never knew she had with a spacey, swirling watercolor promotional design. Most of her clothing once belonged to Gwen but I wouldn't be surprised if it was a gift from her roommate. Which meant I needed to find out where on God's green earth she got such a cool shirt.  
In front was a scorched and burned castle. It didn't burn down, obviously, but it looked almost terrifying. Fire could burn stone, sure, but the degree with which it ignited seemed like it made the iron doors melt like wax and the stone to cave on one side. I should be afraid. _Very_ afraid.  
To the left was Kevin, Gwen, and the Pyronite T'Iciri. She watched me carefully but there wasn't an ounce of hostility. Back inside the castle, I had been so focused on Zeke that I didn't even pay attention to what happened between the Pyronite and the Highbreed. I...almost didn't want to know. It made me very grateful to be an ally rather than a foe.

I slid off the hood and started my approach, feet dragging through the desert dust. There was something I wanted to say yet it seemed kind of unnecessary. "We try not to kill, you know.." I commented.

"I will do my best."

Will. Future tense. I smiled. "Glad to see you're in one piece, Toi." I watched with pleasant awe as the earthen rock of her face scrunched in a smile. "Thanks for not burning us up with them. We didn't really do all that well in the "rescue" part of the mission, so thank _you_ for saving us." She didn't speak, just smiled. I didn't want to make assumptions, but there still remained the question of what would happen next. Things were rocky, weren't they? Even if Zeke had gone on her own little rampage to get Toi back, that didn't mean all was necessarily forgiven.

That wasn't my business either. I gestured over my shoulder, towards the car and the girl still sitting on it. Smiling, I said it all with one line, "I think you two need to talk."

Toi's expression didn't fall, it only grew, like she was surprised. She looked at me, then to Kevin and Gwen, but I didn't need to say another word as she stalked towards Zeke. They were still in ear's reach, so it's not like the three of us began to eavesdrop; even if we did huddle a bit closer together.

.

The Pyronite stopped in front of her, hands fiddling very humanly at her chest. "Swee… Sweet one?"

Zeke looked at her instantly. Acceptance of the name, which was good. They stared at each other, a literal fire with a figurative one. Neither of them knew what to say - Kevin heaved an impatient sigh beside me. Toi kicked at the ground lightly, leaving behind a small burn. "I am...most sorr-"

"Sorry, Toi," the blonde interrupted, a little louder than she must've expected because Zeke jumped at the sound of her own voice. "I'm so, so sorry.. I didn't mean it. Well, I _did_ , but I don't anymore..!" She went off. I was just happy to hear her use Toi's chosen name directly to her face. "Everything is still jumbled for me, I think, but there was a reason why I didn't want you here. I was okay being alone. Okay, I wasn't alone, I had friends, but you know what I mean! I didn't need to be taken care of anymore and the only reason I thought you wanted to be a parental _thing_ was because I had fire, but then Gwen said... And Kevin, they..!"

A burning hand ghosted over her shoulder, the heat so intense it made the ends of her hair singe in curls. Toi bent her knees to be lower and wore a smile on her face. "Sweet one, I respect you for your choices. I _will_ respect your choices. If you wish me to leave, then I shall. If you wish me to stay, I will stay. I came for a child since I could not bear my own and now I understands what it means to actually want to nurture. Showing off is, of course, something I would like to do, but not what I desire the most.."

Silence seemed to carry forever. Finally, they had exchanged words and nothing was left under wraps. No miscommunications, open options, and mutual understanding. I knew what I wanted to happen, but that wasn't on me. I couldn't help but smile when Zeke lowered her head and submit to herself. In a whisper, she said, "Please...stay.."

* * *

 **OOF.**

 **- _ShockScythe_**


End file.
